In startup of electric bicycles prepares to double production

The brazilian startup of electric bikes Spark prepares to raise your production to 100 monthly units and increase the number of physical stores, in addition to e-commerce. Is a milestone for a project that began in 2012, with manufacturing practically homemade. The models have own design and are assembled in a factory in Pirituba, North of the city of São Paulo. The project is a national. Only the battery and electrical wiring are imported from China, South Korea and Taiwan. All bikes are tailored to the client, you can choose the most appropriate frame type for your height and wingspan, the wheel rim and other items such as accessories and paint-there are 13 color choices. The prices range from R $4,690 the R$ 5,890. By the end of 2018 the company wants to reset the queue for the product, today around two and a half months and 250 customers, says founder and CEO, Vitor Cruz. The plan is to enter in 2019 with the monthly volume of 100 units, double the average of 50 that the company presented until May. The number started to rise in June and in August, was already in 80 units per month. In addition to producing, the company sells models through e-commerce and physical stores, which also act as a fulcrum for the provision of services. The flagship store, in the neighborhood of Pinheiros, São Paulo, West meets showroom, second-hand trade and mini shopping of accessories, in addition to offering technical assistance. The format lean (pocket shop), with space and restricted stock to keep operating costs low, was adopted also in stores opened recently in Rio de Janeiro (in August) and Brasília (September). The plan is to inaugurate a in Curitiba in 2018 and yet another in Belo Horizonte next year. Currently has 45 employees and hoping to earn $5 million this year, R Cross calculates that the sail will begin turning a profit in 2019. In all, the company has already received R $2.6 million in investments. The começoO project began in 2012, when Cruz was in mechanical engineering and noticed the emergence of electric bicycles in technological poles in Asia and California, in the United States. " I thought of starting something from scratch, molding it to the public and to Brazil's mobility, "says the founder. "I thought in import as little as possible. The first bike I made for myself, as a solution to my daily locomotion. " Two years after the first units, set up-if the current business model. In 2015, the skinny started to be fitted for retail. "In the meantime I made a presentation of the proposal in Qatar and a campaign of collective funding in the United States. From there came many requests, "reports. In 2016, the boost came in the amount of ten Angels investors injected $2 million on R project. Later, six of them ended up becoming partners, totaling the current seven members. According to the founder, the main challenge was to adapt the project to the legislation of the transit Country, full of details. "In Brazil the accelerator is prohibited for bicycles, then adapt the pedal as a starting point to turn it on. With this, there is always an initial effort due to the weight of the past who unlocks the electrical system. That's why we're studying fast ignition button, "he says. TécnicasA features speed varies in two marches 0 – 10 km/h and 10 to 25 km/h –, which requires any user's expertise in driving. The gears can be controlled by a button on the left side of the handlebars. On steep slopes, the effort can become too without the reduction for a stronger (from zero to 10 km/h). You can also use the bike in the traditional way, excluding the battery. In this case, however, the weight can make it difficult to pedal. The bikes have candle of 18 kg to 23 kg, depending on the model – lighter, therefore, than the average of 28 kg to 30 kg of other, only heavier in comparison to an ordinary bicycle, generally with 15 kg. Tube-shaped, the battery is embedded along the main trunk of the chassis and can be removed easily. The full charge is rechargeable in 2 hours and ensures up to 30 km in continuous use. The motor has 350w of power. The models feature front and rear headlights still, built-in wiring and USB input, in addition to the accessories and features chosen by the client.